


Like a Lioness, Only with Less Fur

by thethirdphiladelphiavireo



Category: Mean Girls (2004), Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: ALL THE GAY, Beauty and the Beast AU, F/F, Kinda, Rejanis, as written by someone who hasn't seen that movie in years, she's a literal horse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-06-23 20:39:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15614544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thethirdphiladelphiavireo/pseuds/thethirdphiladelphiavireo
Summary: Janis thought her life in Northshore village was bad, surrounded by her standoffish neighbors with no friends but her roommate and her horse. But when the only person she cares about goes missing, Janis stumbles on a world of magical curses and fabulous wealth, imprisoned by a mysterious creature with no way of knowing when (or if) she'll see her home again.





	1. We Could Be Beautiful

The countryside. Full of sunlight and fresh air. The sounds of birds chirping in the distance and cow bells. The distant smell of baking bread…

 

And the smell of horse shit.

 

Janis recoiled at the familiar squelch, already furiously wiping her shoe on the ground. Her jaw and fists were clenched with the effort to not scream.

 

Yeah, that’s the countryside alright. 

 

Janis hobbled down the road, still dragging her right foot in the dirt. She squinted in the glare of the morning sun, a twine basket thrown over one shoulder as her free hand tried to shade her face. Despite the light, a persistent chill hung in the air that made Janis shiver.

 

There was nothing Janis hated more than market day. But her roommate, Damien, had gone last time, and besides, maybe she could look at new art supplies if they had come to town. Still, she wasn’t sure if even the chance of finally getting more scarlet pigment was worth practically tripping over literal crap every two steps.

 

Finally, Janis entered the outskirts of her little town, seeing houses and people for the first time in a couple of miles. A clump of women sat perched at the side of the road knitting. One of them tried to wave at Janis, but another grabbed that girl’s hand and shook her head, avoiding Janis’s gaze. Fingers picking at her basket’s handle, she continued walking, head aimed at the ground. 

 

The farther she walked, the more and more crowded the street became, full of carts and animals. It became narrower too, with buildings starting to press in on both sides; and finally it went from dirt to unevenly paved. 

 

After only a little more walking Janis found herself in the town square, surrounded by vendors and shoppers and whatnot. There was a lot of shouting and bustling, really more than was merited by a backwards town in the middle of nowhere. She weaved through the hoards and ducked into a little shop. Shutting the door against the chaos outside, she closed her eyes and breathed in the familiar smell of fresh paints. Thank God. It sure beat the smell of people throwing out their chamber pots in the morning.

 

Janis spent as long as she could perusing the wares, strolling up and down the little aisles. She picked up every sample, marveling at every color, imagining it in a hundred different pieces. She looked at brushes, and canvases, and easels, running her fingers along the rough textures. After an eternity of examining and re-examining every minute aspect of a particularly striking shade of blue, Janis’s wonder was interrupted by an exasperated cough from the shopkeeper behind her.

 

Janis swallowed and took out her coin purse. Mentally counting out what she’d need to buy herself and Damien food, she was disappointed to see how little change remained to her. She went through the paints one last time, finally picking out a tiny tube of a burnished orange color. She went over to the counter, and, seeing the owner’s patronizing smile, slammed her money down a bit harder than necessary, barely resisting the urge to flash the finger over her shoulder as she stalked out. 

 

Back out in the square, Janis darted around to grab various foods. Some cured meat, flour, jam… She finished up by grabbing a couple baguettes from the baker’s cart. As she turned to leave, someone suddenly slammed into her from behind, causing her to drop her basket.

 

“Move it, dyke!”

 

Janis frantically gathered up her purchases before they could get crushed underfoot by other shoppers. She snapped back upright, ready to tear into the culprit, but whoever it was had long since vanished into the crowd. 

 

Yeah, Janis fucking hated market day. 

 

By the time Janis got back from her early morning trip, shivering and cursing the entire way back, it was well into the afternoon. Damien was sat outside their little farmhouse on a wooden bench. Every few moments he would look up at the chickens pecking at the ground in front of the home, but it was clear most of his attention was on the worn rolls of parchment in his hands. 

 

As Janis got closer, Damien looked up. “Oh, thank God, you’re back.”

 

Janis nodded and sat down next him, putting her basket to the side. She waggled her eyebrows. “So, excited?”

 

Damien took a shaky breath and nodded. “And a bit terrified. I might throw up. Oh God, what if I throw up when I get there?”

 

“Stop. We’ve been running your lines day and night for weeks. You’re gonna knock them dead.”

 

For the past month Damien had been preparing to audition for a theatre company based in the big city. If all went well, he’d get to live his dream of touring from manor to manor, sponsored by wealthy patrons, while practicing the craft he loved… Janis was thrilled to see her friend have the chance to pursue such a wonderful life, even though it meant he’d be leaving her behind.

 

Damien stood up and grabbed his ready-packed bag that had been sitting beside him. “Guess I’d better go grab Cady.”

 

“I still don’t see why I couldn’t have taken her to the market. It was hell walking,” Janis groaned.

 

“She needed her rest, Janis! She has a long trip in front of her.” 

 

Janis rolled her eyes as Damien disappeared behind the house. She grabbed the bag of chicken feed from where her roommate had been sitting and tossed another handful onto the ground, smirking at the sudden wave of excited clucking.

 

A few minutes later, Damien walked out, leading their auburn mare, Cady. He swung into the saddle and held out his hand for his bag, which Janis handed to him. Adjusting his position, he quirked an eyebrow at Janis. “You can take care of this place alone for an afternoon, right?”

 

Janis joking saluted before giving him the finger.

 

“Well, I should be back in the evening. See you later.” He blew a kiss in Janis’s direction before giving Cady’s side a nudge and trotting off. 

  
  
  


Janis spent most of the day after that doing menial tasks. Cleaning the coops,clearing their walkway, that kind of crap. Every so often she’d look at the sky, and quickly became worried. The weather had taken a turn for the worse ever since Damien left. Dark clouds had advanced on the property, giving their pleasant rural home a sinister aura that had Janis jumping at every noise. Once snow started pelting down, whipped around by the violent winds, Janis decided to call it a day.

 

She rubbed a hand over her face as she cooped up the last of the chickens for the night. She cast a glance at the road, hoping to see Damien riding in the distance, but there was nothing. No shadow against the white snow, no faint neighing. Janis’s lips turned down in a bitter frown. It had gotten dark so fast that she couldn’t be sure what time it was, but she was pretty sure Damien should have been back by now. Regardless, it was dangerous to be out in this kind of weather. Hopefully he had seen what was happening and had stayed somewhere else for the night.

 

Janis went in, shutting the door against the cold air outside. She immediately decided to go start a fire, setting about gathering some kindling and flint. Before she could begin, however, she realized she had forgotten to grab firewood from outside. Cursing, she grabbed the thickest coat she owned, pulled on her boots, and stepped out. Already snow was blanketing the ground, more and more piling up by the second. Janis grumbled to herself as she trudged through it on her way to the woodpile.

 

As Janis dug around looking for the driest logs, she suddenly heard a whinny in the distance. Her head darted up, swiveled around, and there! She could make out Cady’s familiar silhouette galloping towards her. Janis was relieved for a few moments. But as the mare got closer, Janis’s heart filled with dread- she was riderless. 

 

Cady skidded to a halt in front of Janis. The horse’s eyes were wide with fear, her flanks heaving. Janis ran her hand down her sides soothingly, trying to calm her down. “Oh God, oh God, it’s okay… Where the hell’s Damien?”

 

The horse jerked her head and snorted. She neighed imploringly at Janis, pawing at the ground. In that moment, Janis made her decision. She hoisted herself up in the saddle, swinging her left leg over Cady’s back. Leaning in, she whispered in the horse’s ear, “Take me to Damien, girl.”

 

Cady whinnied, reared on her hind legs, and in a flash, they were off. They raced through the barren countryside, with nothing but frosted crops and abandoned farm tools to see, until they reached the edge of the dark, imposing forest. Here, Janis pulled at the reins and the two came to a stop. Nervously, Janis gazed into its wooded depths. Over the roar of the storm in her ears, she couldn’t hear a thing. Cady bucked impatiently and Janis bit her lip. Tentatively, she spurred the horse on, and they entered the forest. 

 

Together, horse and rider wandered through the forest for what felt like forever. Janis quickly became disoriented in the dark night, praying that they weren’t lost. But Cady’s gait was confident as she weaved through a maze of twisting paths. Every few seconds Janis cried her friend’s name, hoping for an answer, but heard nothing but whistling wind.

 

Abruptly, Cady stepped through a wall of brush, leaving Janis spluttering on a mouth of leaves and cobwebs. When she finally managed to spit it all out, she looked up, and- Oh.

 

Rising out of the shadows was an enormous castle, with arching windows and lofty towers, dotted with grotesque gargoyles whose cold eyes seemed to pierce Janis’s soul. She was breathless with wonder, mouth dry with shock. How the hell does one just stumble upon a castle?

 

But apparently this was the right place. Cady was straining against her reins, shaking her head furiously. Janis held her in a careful trot all the way to the entrance, a stone set of stairs leading up to two imposing wooden doors. There, she dismounted. Tugging at Cady’s bridle, she tried to lead the mare to something she could to tether her to, but suddenly a deep, throaty roar echoed through the air. Cady bucked and broke from Janis’s hold, galloping back towards the forest. Janis shouted desperately after her, hands trembling. Dammit. 

 

With the gravelly bellow still ringing in her ears, she turned back to the castle. It must have been a wolf. Or maybe a bear. At least, that’s what she told herself. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Janis raised outstretched fingers to the large, iron door knocker. She delicately gripped it, clenching her other hand into a tight fist, pulled it back, and gave a resounding  _ bang _ .


	2. Whose House Is This? (It's My House Now)

Surprisingly, the second Janis knocked on the castle’s doors, they swung inward, creaking loud enough to be heard over the aggressive buffeting of the wind. Janis rubbed her temples with her fingers. Fucking fantastic.

 

Cautiously, she stepped over the threshold. As desolate and cold as the outside had been, inside was lit with scores of torches and candlesticks. Because of this, Janis could see every extravagant inch of the interior. A red, velvet carpet ran through an enormous hall. The walls were lined with scenic paintings that stole her breath with their intricate detail and jaw-dropping colors. Azure tapestries hung beside them, matching the plush covers of gilded chairs, enough for every person in her village. In short, the entire gigantic room was a piece of art. 

 

Still, it was completely empty and that in itself was incredibly eerie. Fires crackled, warming absent guests. A dining table serving as a centerpiece was set for some fifty people, but no one ate. Somewhere out of Janis’s view a grandfather clock tolled, making her jump.

 

Janis swallowed and continued to move through the hall, grabbing a golden candlestick from an elegantly carved table. She kept her steps light, but still called out in the empty room. “Damien?”

 

Nothing.

 

Aside from the sound of her own footsteps, deafening silence pressed in on Janis as she took in her environment. Maybe he was further in… She combed her fingers through her hair, heaving a sigh at the thought of having to explore more of the creepy-ass castle.

 

Damien so owed her. 

 

Janis mounted an impressive staircase, sweaty palms gripping the railing. The second level was darker than the first, more ominous. Janis held the candlestick out in front of herself, eyes straining to make sense of the elaborate decor. The light gleamed and reflected off of brilliant suits of armor, lining the corridors like soldiers. Their swords were positioned high above their heads, ready to strike. Janis gulped and stuck to the middle of the hall. Besides the armor, priceless looking marble sculptures peeked out from dark corners. Janis started when her candle shone on one’s particularly twisted face, and she felt crazy, but also couldn’t help but shiver at the weight of its cold gaze on her shoulders.

 

Suddenly, from somewhere up ahead, Janis heard a clatter and a long, faint moan. 

 

“Damien?” she yelled, rushing forward. Up on her right was an open entryway, leading to a winding stone stairwell. As Janis approached, she coughed at the pungent, dank odour within. She carefully examined the walls, hesitating in the threshold at the sight of the crumbling brick and the intricate spider webs hanging above, but when she heard an echoing cough from the top, she hastened up the steps, free hand outstretched to the side for purchase. 

 

Upon her arrival to the end of the twisting stairs, Janis immediately saw her best friend in a crumpled heap on the wet floor. To her horror, he was lying behind a set of iron bars, one of many cells lining the back wall of the cramped room. 

 

“Damien!” Janis ran to him, kneeling at the edge of his cage. “What happened?”

 

He opened his eyes and blinked up at her, unfocused. Blood was trickling down the side of his face from a gash on his forehead. 

 

“Janis?” he slurred, confused, as his friend reached through the bars to grasp his hand. “What’re you doing here…?” His eyebrows furrowed and he shook his head weakly. “You need to leave…”

 

Janis squeezed his fingers. “Of course I’m not leaving you here. Do you know where the keys to this thing are?”

 

“No! Really, you have to go,” Damien groaned, paler than the snowfall outside. “Before she comes back…”

 

“She who?” Janis demanded.”Who did this to you?”

 

Before he could answer, Damien’s jaw went slack as he gazed at something behind her. “Janis!” he yelped. “Janis, run!”

 

She whirled around just in time for a powerful grip to close around her throat, not even giving her time to scream before the breath was knocked out of her lungs. She dropped the candlestick in one of the many puddles littering the floor, extinguishing it. Janis groped blindly in the darkness, fingers tearing at her attacker’s clothing. She found herself shoved backwards until she hit the stone wall, grunting at the collision. 

 

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” The words were practically spat in her face, her attacker close enough that Janis could feel the breath ruffling her hair. The voice was gravelly and harsh, likely belonging to the “she” Damien had mentioned.

 

Janis wheezed and brought her hand to weakly claw that of her attacker… Was “she” wearing fur gloves?

 

In any case, “she” seemed to comprehend Janis’ distress, suddenly releasing the woman from her hold and stepping back. Janis coughed and bent over, eyes watering. 

 

Her attacker shuffled in the darkness. “Well? Answer me.”

 

“My name’s Janis… I’m his friend and I’m here to take him back ho-”

 

“He’s not going anywhere. He was found trespassing and he’ll pay the price.”

 

Janis glared at the dark figure before her. “And who are you to demand that?” she rasped. 

 

“The mistress of this castle. And my word is final here.”

 

Janis looked back at the cells, gazing at Damien’s prone figure. “He’s injured …  He needs medical attention! Not for you to leave him to rot in a dungeon!” 

 

A growl sounded from her attacker that made Janis jump. “The price must be paid.”

 

A pitiful moan from Damien.

 

Janis clenched her jaw. “Then let me pay it.”

 

“...What?”

 

“Let me take his place here. And let him go.”

 

“She” was silent. Damien rattled weakly at the bars of his cell. “Janis, no!”

 

“God, will you shut up?” Janis’s attacker snarled. Then, softer, “You would do that?”

 

Janis could feel her attacker’s hesitation. “She” was shifting on her feet, her robes dragging on the ground. Just a few paces in front of her, a window cast light on the ground separating the two. Janis noted that her attacker was careful to remain outside of it. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Come into the light.”

 

Slowly, the hulking figure made her way forward. Janis’s jaw dropped in horror. First a twisted foot covered in silvery fur… Janis’s eyes drifted upward along a dark purple cloak, reaching broad muscular shoulders, traced down a large, furred forearm to a clenched paw, and finally went back up to see her attacker’s face. A large snout was turned down in a severe frown, two fangs peeking up from the creature’s jowls. A set of twisting horns rose from her head menacingly. But most striking of all was the pair of icy blue eyes, bluer than Janis had ever seen before, boring into her. The mistress of this castle was a monster.

 

The beast gazed at her coldly. “Do you still wish to trade yourself for him?”

 

Covering her mouth with her hand, Janis nodded.

 

“Then you must swear to remain here for the rest of your life.”

 

Janis swallowed. “I swear it.”

 

“Done!”

 

Janis saw the silhouette of the monster stride across the room, unlock the cell’s door and seize Damien by his shirt. Damien was murmuring incoherently and as he passed Janis she kneeled and grabbed his hand. “It’s okay, it’s gonna be okay,” she soothed. The creature jerked him away, ignoring Janis’s indignant cry. 

 

As her new captor dragged Damien down the staircase, Janis considered making a run for it. Could she get both herself and her her friend out of this? Biting her lip, she decided it was too risky. She couldn’t have the beast rescinding on her promise to free Damien if she found Janis trying to escape. 

 

Instead, Janis rose from her spot on the floor and carried herself over to the open cell, curling up inside. God dammit. She hung her head in her hands. What the hell was happening?

 

“Wow, Regina’s in a really bad mood today.”

 

Janis’s head snapped up. Her eyes darted around the room, but there was no one there. Was she going to start hearing voices too? “Who said that?” she cried fearfully. 

 

“Me, silly,” the voice spoke again. “Down here!”

 

Janis lowered her gaze. The only thing there was the candlestick and… she was sure she had left that knocked over. Then it moved forward, and Janis saw a face blinking up at her in the wax.

 

She screamed.

 

The candlestick cocked its head(?) “Why are you screaming? Did you see something scary?”

 

“You’re the one scaring her, Karen,” a shrill voice rang out from the stairwell. “God, it’s like you forget you’re a candlestick sometimes.” 

 

Janis thought she might faint when she saw a clock hopping into the light. 

 

Karen pouted. “Don’t make fun of me, it’s not my fault I have a bad memory!” 

 

An exasperated sigh came from the clock. “Miss, I hope my friend didn’t startle you too badly. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gretchen, right hand and advisor to our mistress.”

 

Janis gazed emptily at the stone floor. “This is it. I’ve lost it.”

 

“I assure you, you are perfectly sane,” a growl came from behind the two pieces of decor. 

 

Janis’s eyes went back to the dungeon’s entrance where the beast had returned, Damien gone. “Here to lock me up?” 

 

The beast’s chilling glare intensified. “I’m here to take you to your room.”

 

“What?”

 

“Is there a problem? You’d rather stay in the dungeon?” the monster snapped.

 

“No! No- I just…” Janis decided to stay quiet. 

 

“Then follow me.”

 

The beast stalked out the room, Janis close behind. Down the spiral staircase, back out into the halls. Looking around, Janis saw that the suits of armor she’s noticed earlier had chillingly lowered their weapons. Was there anything normal about this castle?

 

The beast turned to look at Janis as they walked. “I’ll allow you to move freely in the castle, so long as you stay inside. Except for the west wing. You are never to go in there. Understood?” 

 

Janis quirked an eyebrow. “What’s in there?”

 

“No questions, it’s forbidden!” The beast snarled, narrowing her eyes. 

 

Janis put her hands up, stepping back, “Fine, no west wing.”

 

The beast huffed and turned back around. “As for anything you may need… My servants will be at your beck and call.”

 

Speak of the devil, Karen came hopping down the hall, her flames relit and creepy wax face smiling. She caught up to the beast who then picked her up with a furry paw. As Janis trailed behind cautiously, the two seemed to be having a heated conversation. Karen was in the middle of furiously whispering something to the beast, grinning widely, when the beast suddenly stopped and opened one of many doors in the corridor. 

 

“This shall be your room,” was what she said as she ushered her prisoner inside. The room was as impressively furnished as everywhere else in the house, with a marvelously patterned rug, fine baby blue sheets on the bed, and lacy curtains adorning a high, arching window. 

 

Janis sat the edge of her bed expectantly. The beast was still in the threshold, hunched forward like she wanted to say something but couldn’t.

 

“You are required to join me for dinner,” she finally spat out. With that, the beast slammed the door, leaving Janis alone with her thoughts and the swirling snow outside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now things truly begin...
> 
> Comments sustain me in these trying times
> 
> Have a good day!


	3. This Had Better Come to a Stop

Left by herself in her new room, Janis quickly became restless. She didn’t want to go back out and risk seeing the beast, but there wasn’t much of anything to speak of in her room. Aside from the luxurious decor, the room was barren. Not a single book, game, or even a change of clothes, despite the fabulously large wardrobe standing against the wall. And of course, no art supplies, though Janis couldn’t help but search for them.

 

It was the thought of never holding a paintbrush in her hands again that finally broke her down. First one tear, then another. Then another. And another and another, and another again... She collapsed on the bed, tears and snot running down her face, taking frantic, shallow breaths. God, her time in the town had never been perfect but she had had something worth  _ living _ for. She had her art, she had Damien. She had Cady, and her chickens, and hell, even the snooty townspeople were suddenly comforting in their familiarity. Now Janis was alone, in a house that wasn’t her own, and she’d stay there ‘til the day she died. 

 

It was all very grim to think about. 

 

Alone in the quiet room with only her hiccuping sobs, Janis lost all sense of time. It could’ve been minutes or hours when she heard a soft knock on her door. 

 

“Miss Janis?”

 

She recognized the shrill voice as belonging to Gretchen, the talking clock. She silently buried her face in her pillow. 

 

“The mistress is awaiting your presence at dinner.”

 

She swallowed, the motion causing the imprint of the beast’s hand on her neck to sting. 

 

“... Miss?”

 

Janis growled and rolled off the bed, wiping her eyes. “Tell her I’m not coming!”

 

“W- what? B-but she specifically wanted you to...”

 

Janis rolled her eyes. “You heard me. Now run along and tell that to your “mistress”.”

 

No more words came from outside the door, but she could hear the  _ pitter-patter _ of wooden feet rapidly retreating down the hall. Good.

 

Janis flopped back down on the bed, exhaling loudly. Her cheeks were still wet with tears but she made no move to dry them with a sleeve or blanket. She was tired, bone-tired. For the first time since she started crying Janis’s breathing began to even out, slow and deep. Her red eyes drooped, fluttered shut, and she could feel herself drifting off, away from the lonely room in the lonely castle in the lonely forest…

 

_ BANG BANG BANG _

 

Janis catapulted forward, cursing loudly. She clutched at her pounding chest and snapped her gaze to the door. “The hell?”

 

“I told you to come down and eat with me!” The savage roar shook the entire room.

 

“I’m not hungry!”

 

“That’s an order, not a request!”

 

“Go away!”

 

Outside the door Janis could hear a jumble of hurried whispers.

 

“Will you please come down for dinner?” the beast growled a few moments later.

 

“No!”

 

The beast snarled ferociously. “Fine! But mark my words, if you don’t eat with me, you’re not eating anything!”

 

Janis gaped at the door, fists clenched at her sides. She listened intently for another outburst, but all she heard was the heavy  _ thud _ of her captor’s footsteps walking away. Shit.

 

It was then that her stomach growled, reminding of her long, busy day. She hadn’t eaten since she’d gotten back from the market, which seemed like an eternity away.

 

But Janis was stubborn, and Janis was prideful. She crossed her arms and leaned her back against the door, sliding down to sit on the rug beneath her. No way in hell she’d beg that thing to come back and feed her.

 

A soft tap sounded from outside.

 

“Janis? It’s Karen!” A perky voice floated through the wood. “I’m here to take you to dinner!”

 

“I already told your boss I wasn’t going to eat with her!” Janis barked. 

 

“No, silly, you’ll be eating all by yourself!”

 

Janis hesitated. Was this some kind of trick? Was the oblivious candlestick even capable of tricking someone? She stood and slowly cracked the door.

 

“Oh! There you are!” Karen smiled up at her. “Ready to go?”

 

“By myself, you say?”

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

“But what about the beast? Her orders?”

 

“Aw, don’t worry about Regina,” Karen waved her candle-arms dismissively. “She’s a bit upset right now, but she doesn’t actually want you to starve.”

 

“Could’ve fooled me,” Janis muttered. 

 

“Anyways, I promise she’ll have no idea about your dinner!”

 

Janis chewed her lip nervously. On one hand, if she was caught eating, she didn’t even want to think about what the beast would do to her. On the other… her stomach growled again.

 

Janis opened the door fully. “Fine. Lead the way, Karen.”

 

Together, the two headed downstairs. Karen bounced along happily ahead while Janis followed, eyes darting around constantly. The prisoner figured that she’d be sat at one of the large tables in the open entrance, but instead she was whisked away through a few short corridors and ushered through a pair of swinging wooden doors. Inside was a smaller but still remarkably lavish varnished dining table. Here, Karen gestured for Janis to take a seat. “Relax and de-stress, Jan. We’ll take care of you.”

 

“A-hem.” Out of the shadows of the doorway hopped a certain clock. “Karen, what do you think you’re doing? We have direct orders to not let her eat until she agrees to dine with the mistress!”

 

Karen pouted. “Don’t be like that Gretch. It’s been so long since anybody came over here, I wanna get to know her! Besides, we can’t let somebody so adorable starve! Look at those big brown puppy eyes, she might’ve been re-incarcerated from a dog or something! And I know you love dogs, so we have to feed her.”

 

A long silence settled in the room. Janis stared at Karen, perplexed, while Gretchen just looked exasperated.

 

“Fine!” The clock threw her wooden arms up. “Do what you want. I won’t rat you out, but if the mistress finds out I was never here. Got it?”

 

Karen giggled. “Aw, I knew you’d understand once I explained!”

 

“... Sure. Anyways, I’ll be leaving now. Never here!”

 

Karen waved enthusiastically as Gretchen tip-toed out of the room. Turning back to Janis, she smiled widely. “I hope you are ready to be amazed!”

 

On cue, a practical parade of silverware burst through the doors. Janis rubbed at her eyes, jaw hanging open. Holy shit. After the train of forks and spoons an army of china plates rolled in,  and following them was what Janis had been waiting for: food. A veritable feast, all for her. Soups, mountains of bread, meat from what must have been every animal on earth. Overflowing pitchers of water and wine. Janis had never seen anything like it in her entire life. 

 

Karen tied a napkin around her neck. “Well, dig in!”

 

Janis didn’t need to be told twice. Who knew when she’d be eating next, after all. She grabbed at the nearest plate, some kind of potato dish, and went to town, chasing it down with a few hardy gulps of some wine offered to her by the candlestick. She served herself a few slices of some meat she didn’t recognize- maybe venison or something exotic. Whatever it was, it was delicious, especially when she followed it with a bite of a brioche roll.

 

Some time later, Janis sat back. She dabbed at her mouth with her napkin, sated and a little tipsy. “Wow.”

 

“I’m glad you liked it!” Karen was hopping down the table. “I don’t get to go all out that much anymore, since Regina mostly just eats in her room. Or doesn’t eat at all.”

 

Janis raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”

 

“Uh-huh. I don’t think she’s got the energy, or something.” The candlestick’s voice wavered slightly. Janis was surprised to see a worried frown on her face when she glanced over.

 

“Well, no offense, but your mistress is a huge bitch.” She waited for Karen to say something, but the candlestick just continued directing the clean-up of the dishes, humming softly to herself. 

 

Janis stood up. “Well, I think I’ll head back to my room now. Thanks for everything I guess.”

 

“I can walk you back!”

 

“No, no, that’s fine, I know my way.”

 

“Cool!” Karen chirped, turning back around. Janis nodded to herself and walked out, casting one last glance over her shoulder.

 

Back in the main halls, she briskly, but casually, headed for the exit. Her eyes darted around furtively. Where was the beast?

 

“Ah, Miss Janis.”

 

Janis froze mid-step, cursing mentally. She plastered a smile on her face and pivoted on her heel, turning to face a certain damned timepiece. “Gretchen! Hey.”

 

“Where are you headed, Miss? Perhaps I can be of assistance?”

 

“She’s just headed back to her room, Gretch.” Karen bounced out from around a corner. Gretchen smiled tightly at Janis before grabbing her colleague and pulling her aside.

 

“You should’ve been watching her,” she hissed at Karen, not realizing Janis could hear her. 

 

The candlestick blinked. “Huh? Why?” She didn’t even bother whispering.

Gretchen huffed and stepped back. “Whatever. Anyways, Miss Janis, let’s get you back to your room.”

 

“Or we could take you on a tour of the castle!” 

 

Janis’s interest piqued despite herself. “A tour?”

 

“Karen,” Gretchen hissed. 

 

“What? Regina specifically said she could go wherever she wanted, it’s not like we’re gonna get in trouble.”

 

“Well, the  _ mistress _ can be capricious! Let’s just get the girl put away!”

 

“No, I’d love a tour,” Janis pressed. “I’m sure you guys know this place like the back of your… hands?”

 

Gretchen puffed up slightly. “Well, I’ve been working in this castle since the mistress and I were children. I trained for years to become her personal butler.”

 

Janis smiled widely. “Wow. I’d bet there’s a lot of history in a place like this too.”

 

“Of course! Generations worth!” Gretchen’s clock face lit up. “And I’ll tell you all about it on your tour!”   
  
“Awesome! Let’s get going then!” Janis whooped exaggeratedly.

 

For nearly an hour Gretchen and Karen led the girl through the mansion, lingering in every room, Gretchen lecturing about who-knows-what while Janis eagerly examined every corner looking for anything that could help her escape.

 

However, Janis noticed that there was a certain staircase that they always avoided, never mounting. “What’s up there?” she asked as they passed by it.

 

Gretchen froze, smile slipping off her face. “Oh! Oh! Nothing at all, not in the west wing. Let’s keep moving.”

 

“The west wing?” Janis remembered the beast’s words- the order to never enter it. “I wanna see it. Whatever that bitch is hiding has got to be good.”

Gretchen gasped. “Don’t speak of our mistress that way! And absolutely, under no circumstances, will I let you disobey her!”

 

Janis weighed her options. On one hand, it wasn’t as if a tiny clock could do much to stop her alone. On the other, Gretchen might raise the alarm and summon the beast…

 

“Fine, fine,” she said. “So, if there’s nothing in the west wing, what’s the most interesting part of this joint, in your opinion?”

 

“Well, I think the best part of the castle is the old stables, where all the visiting lords would congregate, and actually a lot of old underhand dealings would happen there back in the-”

 

“-And there are still horses there!”

 

“Yes, Karen’s right. There are still horses there.”

 

Janis smiled. “That sounds really cool! Tell me more?”

 

Gretchen was practically vibrating with excitement. “Let’s go!”

 

“Yay!” Karen squealed, hopping ahead while Gretchen hurried after her. The two looked fairly absorbed in their own excitement. Janis smirked and let them go, slipping up the stairwell. Success.

 

This area of the castle was completely unlit, and Janis was only able to see thanks to the faint moonlight straining through the windows. What she saw stole her breath. 

 

Furniture, curtains, and walls ripped to all hell. Wreckage littered the floor: splintered wooden beams, stuffing, shredded fabric, and shards of glass. Janis toed her way through the debris, wide-eyed and transfixed. 

 

As she crept forward, something in particular caught her eye. On a far wall a gilded picture frame was hung up, holding the remnants of what might have once been a beautiful painting. Vicious claw marks were slashed across it, ripping the thin canvas. Janis reached her hand out, lightly brushing it across the portrait. Squinting, she could just barely make out ethereal blonde waves, pale skin, and the beginning of a slender jaw, but no defining features were visible. 

 

Janis’s attention was drawn away from the painting, however, by a soft pink glow she saw to her right. Frowning, she padded down the corridor towards the open door the light was emanating

from. She peeked her head through and found herself on a graceful balcony overlooking the castle’s grounds. In the center stood a short white column. A rounded glass case sat on top, covering a single, freestanding, pink rose. Entranced, Janis walked forward, pressing a hand to the glass. She bit her lip and brought the other up to carefully lift the case up. Setting it aside, she reached forward, hand slowly creeping towards the glowing flower, hand dyed pink in the light…

 

A throaty growl broke her out of her stupor with a gasp. Emerging from the shadows, there stood the beast. Her eyes flashed, cold and vicious; her razor teeth were bared, and the fur on her neck was spiked threateningly. Janis stumbled away from the flower, stammering, while the beast stalked forward, ignoring every word she said. The beast picked up the cover and gently placed in over the rose. 

 

Once the flower was safely stowed away, the beast turned to Janis once more. “What do you think you’re doing here? I told you never to come here!” she snarled savagely, towering over her prisoner. 

 

“I- I’m sorry,” Janis choked out. “I didn’t mean-”

 

“You could have ruined everything!” 

 

Janis cowered. “Please, I-”

 

“Get out!” the beast thundered. “Get out of here!” Enraged, she smashed her enormous arm against an upturned wardrobe, splintering the wood before Janis’ eyes.

 

Without hesitation, Janis turned and scrambled away from her captor, racing out of the room. She could hear the beast continuing to roar behind her, spurring her to run even faster. She made her way down the stairs as fast as she could without tripping and falling, heart racketing in her chest. 

 

“There you are,” she heard Gretchen’s shrill voice shriek. “Where are you going?”

 

“Far, far away,” she shouted. “I can’t stay here!”

 

“No, please, don’t go!” Karen cried, but Janis, unheeding, threw open the main door and rushed out into the snow, slamming the door behind her. 


	4. Fight for Me

Janis tore across the castle’s grounds, blizzard whipping through her hair. The icy wind stung at her eyes, nose, and throat as she took heaving gasps of the frigid air. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. The storm was so thick that the Janis could barely see two paces ahead of her. She headed for the dark silhouette of the forest ahead, stumbling through the snowdrift. 

 

As she raced towards the edge of the clearing, Janis heard a whinny cut through the roar of the wind. Suddenly, she saw the shape of Cady appear up ahead. She slowed her run as the mare galloped towards her, catching her by the bridle and swinging herself into the saddle. 

 

“Let’s go, girl!” she cried, spurring Cady on into the woods. 

 

Under the blanketing cover of the trees, the snowfall diminished, allowing Janis to guide Cady through the shadowy forest. It was quieter, too- the blast of the wind was reduced to a dull whistling. They weaved in and out through the pines, Janis hanging on for her life as their breakneck pace jerked her up and down.

 

After a few minutes of sprinting away from the castle, she slowed Cady into a trot, noticing the horse’s heaving flanks. She exhaled heavily, brushing her wild hair out of her eyes. She cautiously studied her surroundings and realized that she had no idea where she was. In her haste to escape from the beast’s wrath, she had failed to retrace her path back home. 

 

Janis gripped Cady’s reins tightly, swiveling her head from right to left to right again. She listened carefully to the  _ crunch  _ of the mare’s hooves in the snow and the rustling branches above her head. With bated breath the two wandered aimlessly. 

 

A twig snapped somewhere behind them. Janis snapped around in the saddle, eyes darting around in search of the source of the noise. Suddenly, Cady halted. Silence. Janis shut her eyes tightly, head still turned away. A deep growl sounded from in front of her. Shit.

 

Janis slowly moved her gaze. A vicious set of yellow eyes glared up at her.There in snow stood a bristling, snarling wolf. 

 

Janis sucked in a sharp breath. She could feel Cady beginning to panic under her, skittering nervously. The wolf  barked throatily, foam dripping from it jaws. A chorus of howls raised in the surrounding woods. Janis whipped her head around, heart pounding, and saw at least a dozen others stalking out from the shadows. 

 

Cady whinnied sharply and reared on her hindquarters. Janis clung to the horse’s neck as she turned and bolted, wolves sprinting after them. 

 

The pair barrelled through the forest, kicking up a flurry of snow behind them. The wolves snapped at Cady’s legs ferociously, spurring the mare on through the freezing night. Janis’s breath came short and shallow, chest frantically rising and falling. 

 

Suddenly, Janis was pitched backwards, Cady giving a short cry. The horse’s bridle was caught on a branch, bringing her to a grinding halt. Janis tumbled off the saddle, slamming onto the frozen earth beneath. 

The wolves crowded around her fallen body, snapping and licking their chops. Janis scrambled to her feet, swaying from side to side. She grabbed a loose branch from the snow, brandishing it like a club at the advancing predators. Most of them were taking their time, circling her cautiously. Their eyes bore into her hungrily, ruthless. Finally, one lost their patience and leapt forward.

 

_ SMACK _ .

 

The wolf yelped and was thrown into the snow by the force of Janis’s blow. The others hesitated slightly, howled, and, done waiting, charged forward. 

 

Janis gripped her makeshift weapon tightly and swung madly, trying to keep every wolf away. She was backed up against a pine tree, the rough bark scraping at her exposed skin, and her gaze darted all around her, looking for any wolves trying to sneak up on her. She could feel her arms growing tired as she clubbed yet another wolf away, only to have two more of its snarling fellows take its place. 

 

_ CRUNCH _ .

 

Janis pulled with all her might, trying to free her branch from where one of the wolves had locked its jaws around it, foaming and growling wildly. The wood groaned, splintered, and then broke completely, leaving her with a tiny, useless stick.

 

Janis pressed herself into the tree, chest heaving. The wolf let the other piece of wood fall and rushed forward, jaws open to sink into the girl’s body. She screwed her eyes shut, fearing the inevitable.

 

A sudden, deafening roar sounded right next to Janis’s face. Her eyes shot open just in time to see a large body posed in front of her own protectively, the attacking wolf thrown to the side, whimpering. Janis sank to her knees in shock, recognizing the purple cloak that was draped across the broad shoulders of her unexpected savior. It was the beast.

 

The rest of the wolf pack barked viciously at the newcomer. They surged forward, each trying to take her down. The beast stalked forward, swiping her clawed paws at her attackers. She towered over the wolves menacingly, a shadowy goliath, easily battering them with heavy strikes.

 

Even for someone as supernaturally powerful as the hulking beast, however, the wolves numbers proved difficult to handle. The beast’s focus was ripped in a dozen directions, leaving her open to attack. Janis’s hand flew to her mouth as one leapt without warning from behind the beast, latching its jaws onto her exposed back. The beast roared and grasped at her foe, trying to rip it off. Another lunged forward and sunk its sharp teeth into the distracted beast’s forearm, viciously shaking the appendage like a chew toy.

 

The beast bellowed with rage. With one paw she finally tore off the wolf clinging to her back, hurling it across the clearing into the freezing snow. She snapped the arm caught in the other’s jaws sharply, ripping it away from the wolf. With strong legs she kicked at its jaw, sending it reeling, stumbling around the dark night. She snarled and shot her paw out to close around the throat of another, hoisting it into the air and slamming it into a tree trunk, releasing it to let it slip down the bark, landing in a crumpled heap on the forest floor. 

 

Finally, the wolves backed down, scrambling off into the brush. Janis’s tense shoulders relaxed. 

 

Up ahead, the beast turned and looked at her. The her eyes were unfocused and pained, breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Suddenly, she collapsed headlong in the snow, shaking the ground with the force of her fall.

 

Janis’s jaw hung open. She rose to her feet, returning to Cady to free the mare from where her reins were tangled around a branch. The horse’s eyes were wide and fearful, and she pawed and the ground nervously. “I know, girl. I wanna get out of here too,” Janis soothed, running her hand down Cady’s auburn flank. She looked at the saddle sat on the horse’s back, wanting nothing more than to swing herself into it and ride out of that damned forest as fast as physically possible.

 

She reached out to place her foot in the stirrup, but hesitated. She looked back at the beast’s prone figure, watched her shallow breaths leave tiny puffs of steam in the frigid air. Janis stared for a long time, frozen, chewing on her lip, unsure. 

 

At last she made a decision. She led Cady over to the beast’s unconscious body. After a lot of trial and error, and bizarre maneuvering, she was able to hoist the enormous dead weight and drape her over the mare’s saddle. Then they set off for the castle. 

  
  


The beast sagged into an enormous armchair, sighing deeply through her nose. Gretchen fluttered around the castle in a tizzy, calling for every medicine known to man to be sent to the mistress as fast as possible. Meanwhile, Janis, the only living being in the castle that had opposable thumbs, set about tending to the beast’s wounds. 

 

“Come over here and just get it over with,” she pressed as the beast shrunk back into her seat, clutching her bitten arm protectively. 

 

“Just leave me to lick at my own wounds in peace,” she growled, eyes narrowing.

 

“They’ll get infected that way, dumbass. I get that you’re an animal and it’s your instinct or whatever but just trust me on this,” Janis yanked the beast’s arm over to her. The beast squirmed in her seat but allowed it. Janis took a cloth of warm water and swiped it over the wound, clearing out the debris that had lodged inside.

 

The beast let out an earth-shaking roar, tearing herself from Janis’ grip. “That hurts!”

 

Janis rolled her eyes. “If you’d stop wriggling around so much it wouldn’t be so bad.”

 

“It’s your fault for running off in the first place. Hope you’re pleased with yourself.”

 

“Well if you hadn’t flipped the fuck out I wouldn’t’ve run!”

 

“Excuse me? I expressly forbid you from going in the west wing and what did you do? Turn right around and disobey me!”

 

“That doesn’t give you the right to fly off the handle like that!”

 

For a few moments, Janis and the beast glowered at each other. The beast broke the eye contact, staring off into the fire they were sat in front of while Janis shook her head and grabbed the her arm again. She dabbed at the wound gently, continuing to clean it out. The beast flinched and let out a shaky breath, but nothing more.

 

As she set about bandaging the bite, Janis allowed her gaze to trail over the beast’s tense form. Scratches littered her sleek golden pelt, matting the fur with blood. Though she couldn’t see it from where she was crouched, Janis also remembered the deep bite on the beast’s back where one of the wolves had latched themselves on viciously. 

 

Janis cleared her throat. “Just to be clear… I want thank you for coming after me. You saved my life.”

 

The beast’s furred eyebrows rose. “Come again?”

 

“You heard me the first time,” Janis ground out.

 

“Maybe.” A slight smile tugged at the corner of the beast’s lips. Then her face once again turned grave. “Anyways, for what’s it’s worth, I’m sorry I lost my temper. It was wrong of me, or whatever.” The beast tossed her head haughtily, but Janis saw a wet shine in her eyes as they flashed with the fire’s glow, a whisper of vulnerability. 

 

The two sat in silence after that. Janis carefully cleaned and bandaged the rest of the beast’s injuries. She wiped her forehead and stood from where she was kneeled by the beast’s side. 

 

“Well,” she paused. “That should be good for now. We’ll have to change the bandages every so often until you’re better but you can go sleep or whatever now. You’re probably tired.”

 

The beast nodded and rose from the armchair. “Thanks,” she rumbled softly, turning to leave.

 

“You’re welcome, Regina.”

 

The beast froze. Janis tensed, fearing another outburst.

 

A few heartbeats of quiet passed.

 

“... I haven’t heard that name in a long time,” the beast whispered. She looked back at Janis, her blue eyes soft and a bit wide. “I don’t think I ever gave you it.”

 

“Karen keeps calling you that…” Janis played with the hem of her jacket, lightly gripping the worn fabric.

 

The beast hummed. “Not to my face. None of them, not even her, dare it.”

 

Janis nodded, rocking on the balls of her feet. The beast turned her head and stared intently at the fire. 

 

“I, uh, don’t mind,” she murmured after a few seconds.Then louder, “You calling me that, I mean. I don’t mind.”

 

Janis smiled a bit, cocking her head to the side. “Okay then.”

 

Regina scratched the back of her neck with a hesitant paw. She excused herself to her room, needing rest. Janis remained frozen in the same place for a few minutes, gazing at the chair where the beast had sat, the crackling hearth warming her face. Giving her head a little shake, Janis turned on her heel and started to the second floor. Without a second thought she passed the deserted main entrance, climbed up the flight of elegant stairs, and quietly opened and shut her door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been releasing chapters on a at least weekly basis up to now but i think the next chapter might be a bit slow to come out because im back in school now (cry). Anyways if youre liking the story comments are always appreciated :) Later!


	5. All I've Ever Known Is How to Hold My Own

Sometimes, Janis would look back on the events of her first day at Regina’s castle and marvel at the fact that so much could happen in the span of only twenty-four hours. That day was no doubt the singly most important in her entire life.

 

After that long, hard first day, however, time began to move faster. Isolated from the rest of the world, Janis quickly lost track of how long she’d spent in her new home. Surprisingly, she found that there were moments where she didn’t mind. 

 

Surprisingly, she found herself enjoying the beast’s company.

 

…

 

It was a bizarre feeling.

 

It started small. Following the night of the wolf attack, Janis woke exhausted from poor sleep and sore from riding in Cady’s saddle. She rolled out of her new bed cracking her back loudly. Groaning, she stumbled out of her room and into the castle’s halls, blindly searching for the one thing on her mind: food. 

 

Walking down the halls, it seemed most of the castle was already up and running. Various household utensils bounced up and down the corridors in an awful hurry to take care of a place with only two residents. Janis winced and stumbled back as a candlestick she recognized as Karen threw open a window’s curtains, flooding the corridor with pale light. 

 

Rubbing her eyes, Janis continued to wearily trudge forward, breathing deeply through her nose.

 

Suddenly, the air was knocked out of the girl’s lungs as she unexpectedly slammed into something. She reeled back, eyes shooting open, and- oh. In front of her, the towering beast turned her head, looking for what had just run into her back.

 

In the early morning light, Regina seemed somehow smaller. Rather than being sculpted by the dark, shadowy night, Janis could clearly see every detail in the beast’s form. She could see the smattering of bandaged wounds littering her body. She could see that Regina’s fur, rather than shiny and silky (as one might expect from the obvious extravagant wealth), was actually rather dull and matted. Aside from that, although the beast’s size seemed to be inherently large and imposing, there was something almost emaciated about her hunched form, with sallow cheeks hiding under a thick pelt. Janis thought back to the night before and Karen’s comment about her mistress skipping meals.

 

She observed all this in a split second before she stepped back, smoothing her wrinkled jacket. She silently held Regina’s gaze, unsure of what to say. 

 

Meanwhile, the beast scratched her neck with a conflicted face. “Er… Pardon me?” She apologized like it was question. 

 

Janis wondered when the last time those words had come from Regina’s lips were. “No, that was on me. Sorry.”

 

“Oh. Well, I’m just… going to go. Back to my chambers.” The beast turned back around and started to shuffle away.

 

Janis’s stomach rumbled. “Uh, wait a sec.”

 

Regina paused, looked back, and raised an eyebrow.

 

“... Care to join me for breakfast?”

 

Now both eyebrows shot up in unconcealed surprise. 

Janis rocked back and forth on her feet, head cocked expectantly.

 

For a few moments Regina said nothing, looking at her like she’d grown a third arm. Then, the beast shook her head as if she was waking from a bizarre dream. “I’ll eat with you.”

 

Make no mistake, that breakfast was awkward. How could it not be? Janis was technically a prisoner, had known Regina for less than twenty-four hours, and knew next to nothing about the mysterious castle owner. Their time together was mostly silent aside from the sound of Janis’s silverware scraping against her dishes. But seeing Karen literally light up as she served the two of them their piping hot meals made it all worth it. Needless to say, that breakfast was not the last time the two ate together.

 

Over the course of the next few weeks, there were countless other small interactions the two shared that helped to tear down the wall between them. 

 

For example, not long after her arrival to the castle, Janis discovered an old set of ice skates as she searched for something to occupy herself with. Naturally, there was only one thing to do: test them on the frozen pond in the castle’s garden.

 

Having never skated before, it proved a bit more challenging than Janis had anticipated. But now, she decided she had a whole new respect for the sport, grunting loudly as she slammed onto the rock-hard ice below for the tenth time in a row. Rubbing her sore back, she stubbornly rose back onto her knees, ready to try again. 

 

“You need to work on keeping your balance,” Regina drawled lazily from her seat on a bench overlooking the lake. A book lay open on her lap, but apparently she was finding the spectacle before her much more entertaining.

 

“No shit,” Janis hissed, frustrated. “You might as well just tell me not to fall as much.”

 

“That’s a great idea. Hey, Janis, try not to fall as much.”

 

“Hah-hah.”

 

Janis huffed and carefully stood up, wobbling slightly. “You said you used to do this?”

 

That was a tidbit of information that had escaped the beast in an uncharacteristically excited outburst when Janis had shown her the pair of skates. Now, as Regina was quiet for the first time since they’d come outside, Janis wondered if she’d been wrong to bring it up.

 

“... Yeah. It’s been awhile though.” That was her entire response. Janis decided to drop the subject, focusing instead on staying upright. By the time the sun started to dip slightly beneath the horizon, and her stomach began to grumble, she wasn’t gliding around the pond like a pro, but she felt there’d been progress made nonetheless.

 

A few days later and Regina was getting her comeuppance for her snark. Janis threw her head back laughing as Cady snorted and the beast recoiled like she’d been burned.

 

“C’mon, just get up here and pet her. She isn’t gonna bite you.”

 

Regina narrowed her eyes, her defensive stance betraying her nervousness. “I think you’re overestimating your devil creature.”

 

“Okay, rude. Cady is a well-mannered lady.” Janis smiled teasingly, walking towards the hesitant beast.

 

“Animals don’t like me, Janis. I don’t care how great she is with everybody else.”

 

“You won’t know until you try,” Janis chided, reaching over to brush a loose bit of hay from Regina’s cloak. The musty old stables were full of the stuff floating in the air, having caused both of them to sneeze upon entry. It had been Janis’s first time hearing the beast sneeze and it was a sound she’d never forget, like a cat sneezing but deeper. 

 

“But what if she does do something?”

 

“I don’t get why you’re so scared. Like, not to get dark or anything, but you could probably beat her in a fight anyways. I literally saw you take on an entire wolf pack at once.” 

 

Regina rumbled lowly in her chest. She hovered next to Janis, continuing to carefully size the auburn mare up. “I’ve never liked horses,” she finally grumbled, tossing her head.

 

“No?”

 

Regina scratched the back or her neck. “No… When I was younger, my father tried to put me on one of his. A tame one, had never had a problem with anybody. But when he was slowly leading us around the corral, the thing suddenly bucked. Threw me off like a doll. I ended up breaking my arm.”

 

The words came out in a rush. It was a nice little story, perfect for a casual exchange between acquaintances. But from the way Regina delivered it, it seemed it had been a long, long time since she’d had such a normal, everyday interaction. Janis carefully filed the information away, adding it to her sparse collection of knowledge of the beast’s past.

 

Unsure of what to say, she patted Regina on the shoulder. “Do you wanna try one more time?”

 

Regina cautiously glanced at Janis’s face, silent. Her fanged mouth was pressed into a tight line. Finally, she gave a jerky nod.

 

Janis moved her hand from Regina’s shoulder to her paw. She lightly gripped it, taking a gentle step forward, pulling the beast along. A few paces in front of them, Cady watched with wide brown eyes, flicking her tail. Regina gulped as they slowly closed the distance. Janis carefully manipulated and unfurled the furred digits to open her palm. Finally, they halted, Regina’s outstretched paw only a hair’s breadth from Cady’s muzzle. The mare stood perfectly still, staring the pair down.

 

Janis gazed at Regina’s unreadable face and made a decision. She let go of her completely, stepping back. Regina cast an anxious glance at her, looking back and forth between the horse and the retreating girl. Janis said nothing, stopping a few feet away from her.

 

Regina swallowed and closed her eyes. Several long moments passed without a single movement, not even the rise and fall of breath.Then, suddenly, she moved her paw forward and pressed it against Cady’s face. Janis quietly observed, thrumming with anticipation.

 

After a few heartbeats, Regina finally cracked open an eye. With a sort of awed reverence, she blinked and turned to face the horse fully. She cautiously began to lightly pet her. Cady grunted and nuzzled deeper into the touch, pawing the ground. Regina looked back at Janis, beaming, and Janis smiled in return.

 

(Much to Janis’s dismay, Cady took to Regina fairly quickly after that. Caught in their ridiculous, cutesy friendship, Janis sometimes felt like she was third-wheeling her own goddamn horse.)

 

But the most surprising day of all came when Janis realized that, if only in her head, she’d grown to consider the beast a friend. 

 

It started with Janis passing by Regina’s room one day only to see the beast’s fur sticking in the air like she was a frizzy cotton ball. She immediately had to investigate, learning that this was the result of Regina bathing. For whatever reason, Janis was fascinated. 

 

And that’s how they ended up on Regina’s bed, the beast’s head in her lap, Janis running a brush through her wet fur. 

 

In this moment, warm from the hot water, wrapped in her thick purple cloak, and having her thick pelt groomed, Regina was open and pliant. She sleepily rambled about anything and everything while Janis nodded along, mostly focused on untangling those pale gold locks. 

 

“I bet you don’t have much to do here,” the beast mumbled. “I get bored constantly. Used to have a lot more to pass the time.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Mm-hmm. When people would visit we’d have these huge dances. When we threw those, there were always jesters, mistrals, and a huge orchestra to play. And of course, an enormous feast. But my favorite part of getting to go to the dances was the dresses.”

 

Janis hummed, working away at freeing a particularly large knot. 

 

“Back when I was human-” Regina suddenly cut herself off. 

 

Janis stopped her ministrations. Regina remained silent and she held her breath. She’d long since had her suspicions, of course, but this was the first concrete confirmation she’d gotten: the beast hadn’t always been this way. 

 

Janis slowly began to brush the beast’s fur once more. Regina cleared her throat.

 

“Yeah, back when I was human… I loved dressing up for that sort of thing. But now, well,” she gestured a large paw at herself. “That wouldn’t really work out. Not that we’re throwing any balls that would warrant that sort of thing anyways.”

 

“Well,” Janis began, gently running the brush along Regina’s neck, “I’m sure you can still find something proper to wear, right? I mean, your cloak is pretty nice.”

 

“I literally fashioned this out of an old curtain,” the beast deadpanned. 

 

Janis laughed, slapping a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, sorry.”

 

“It’s okay.” And the warmth in Regina’s voice told her that it was, in fact, okay. “Anyways,” The beast reclined a bit more, making herself comfortable. “What about you? What do you like doing?”

 

“Well,” Janis tapped her chin with the brush’s handle. “I like to paint. Before I came here… It was kind of my one escape from the world around me. It was a bit of a pricey hobby for me to handle, but,” She shrugged. “I made it work.”

 

Regina hummed thoughtfully. The conversation lapsed into a comfortable silence after that.

 

“All done,” Janis announced a few minutes later. She was about to rise to leave when, looking down, she realized that her lap was currently being used as a pillow.

 

Curiously, she studied the sleeping face in her lap. It was so much more relaxed like this. The grumpiness  that so often seemed to plague Regina was gone. The fanged snarl had faded away, with the beast’s lips loosely open, fluttering with every puff of air as she exhaled. 

 

Janis cautiously set down her brush and instead ran her own hand through a small section of fur. The texture was as soft and smooth as butter after the brushing, and, after slight hesitation, she repeated the motion. The beast didn’t stir. That was when Janis noticed it, the warm, fond feeling in her chest, an ever-expanding ball of affection. It was almost like what she felt on cold winter nights with Damian, huddled in front of the fire, two young artists with dreams and spirit taking on the world together. 

 

An hour later, when Gretchen bounced in to inform her mistress that dinner was ready, she found them in the same position: Regina sprawled on her bed, head lolling in Janis’s lap, and the girl running her fingers through silken fur, wondering what that face had been like as a human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's a day later than I wanted it to be, but I'm glad I got a chapter out this week! Hope you all enjoyed!


	6. Love Is Blind

“Can I open my eyes yet?” Janis drawled, dragging her feet along the soft carpet. “I’m starting to wonder if you’re taking me someplace to get rid of me.”

 

She heard a slight rumble of laughter from up ahead. 

 

“Not yet,” Regina called back, tightening her paw’s grip on Janis’s hand. “We’re almost there.”

 

Janis sighed but obediently kept her eyes shut. She has absolutely no idea where she was. It seemed like they’d been walking for hours already. This castle was even bigger than she’d thought. “I think I’m gonna die of old age before we reach your ‘surprise’.”

 

“You can quit your whining, we’re here. Keep ‘em closed just a bit longer.” 

 

Janis felt the beast let go of her hand and heard the deep, scraping creak of a large door being opened.

 

“C’mon, get in here.” Barely contained excitement shone in Regina’s voice. 

 

Janis cautiously stepped forward, eyes still tightly shut. Regina laid a guiding paw on her shoulder, ushering her further into the new space. 

 

“Okay. You can look… now.”

 

Janis opened her eyes, immediately blinking in the sudden brightness. Finally, she adjusted to the light and was able to stop squinting and take in her surroundings fully.

 

She was in a large, open room with shining wooden floors. On her right side, large, arched windows lined the wall and lit the space. Several empty tables dotted the room and a row of counters ran along the back. 

 

Janis cocked her head. “Uh… This is definitely a beautiful room, Regina… There a particular reason you brought me here?”

 

Regina flashed her a fanged smile. She gestured a paw at a large set of cabinets just past Janis. “Maybe you should take a look in there.”

 

Janis raised an eyebrow, toeing her way over to one of the cabinets. She grasped the handles and swung them open dramatically. Studying its contents, her hands flew up to her mouth in shock. “Oh my God!”

 

Top to bottom, the entire cabinet was filled to the brim with jars of paint of every color and shade. Janis’s mouth hung open in shock at the beautiful display. She reverently reached her hand out, stopping short of actually touching the paints.

 

Janis rushed to another cabinet, throwing it open, and saw even more jars stacked there. She opened yet another and found it stuffed with brushes of every shape and size. The next was full of various blank canvases. 

 

Janis gaped, shell-shocked, at these cabinets and the number of similar cabinets she had yet to open. She had never seen so many supplies at once in her life, let alone so many at her fingertips… She turned at stared at Regina in awe.

 

Regina was fiddling with paws nervously. She met Janis’s eyes with a sheepish gaze. “You mentioned that you liked to paint and stuff. And, well, this used to be used by our court’s portrait artists. I thought you’d like it.”

 

“I don’t like this, Regina. I fucking love this.” Janis spun around the room enthusiastically. She didn’t even have the words to express her gratitude, so instead she strode forward and caught Regina in a bone-crushing embrace, throwing her arms around the beast’s enormous frame. Regina tensed momentarily but relaxed, bringing her paws up to return the hug. 

 

“Thank you so much,” Janis murmured. 

 

Regina laughed breathily. “I’m glad you’re happy with it.” She sounded relieved. 

 

Janis stepped back, turning to face the cabinets. She was thrumming with energy for the first time since she could remember, itching to return to the thing she loved so much. She looked at the beast who gestured at her expectantly. _ Go on _ . 

 

It was a bit overwhelming, to have anything she could possibly want to use to paint right there in front of her. Janis didn’t even know where to start, what to create. Every idea that had ever swirled in her head came rushing to the surface of her mind, each drowning out the next in a maelstrom of indecision and confusion, until a single idea crystallized in her thoughts.

 

“Can I paint you?” The words fell out of Janis’s mouth before she even realized she was speaking, unbidden. 

 

Regina blinked silently. “I… Paint me?” 

 

“I mean, if you want. Thought it’d be cool I guess.” Janis shuffled a bit nervously. “Obviously you don’t have to let me, I mean it’s kind of weird, so…”

 

Regina shook her head, still a bit apprehensive. “No, no, I… You can paint me.”

Janis looked up, smiling a bit. She slowly walked over to the cabinets to pick out some supplies, giving the beast time to change her mind. “Awesome. Do you wanna just, like, pull up a stool or something and sit in front of one of those windows?”  

 

Regina obligingly grabbed a seat and settled in while Janis set about getting ready. 

 

The two spent the rest of the day holed up together in that room. Looking back, the impromptu decision to paint the beast had a few unanticipated hurdles, like drinks, lunchtime, bathroom breaks, and the way the natural lighting changed with the sun’s position in the sky, but the time they spent making each other laugh was more important than some painting anyways. 

 

With a final flourish of her brush, Janis stepped back from the canvas. “Voila! Your portrait is complete, madame.”

 

Regina stood. “Thank God. I thought my legs were about to fall off with how numb they were.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Just get over here and take a look, drama queen.”

 

Rolling her eyes, Regina strutted over to peek around Janis’s shoulder. Despite her outward nonchalance, Janis felt herself holding her breath in anticipation for her subject’s reaction.

 

Regina examined the painting in silence for several moments. Janis kept her gaze straight ahead, trying not to look at the beast’s face. But when she heard a quiet sniffle come from her side, she immediately turned.

 

Regina’s lips were quivering as she brought a furred paw to wipe at her wet eyes. Janis tensed, unsure of what to do. “Uh, Regina? You okay?”

 

Regina jumped. “Y-yeah,” she stammered wetly. “I’m fine.”

 

“What’s wrong?” Janis placed a hand on her shoulder, furrowing her eyebrows.

 

“It’s just-” Regina took a deep breath. “Your painting, it’s so beautiful.” She coughed, composing herself. “Sorry.”

 

“Don’t apologize. I’m glad you like it. I thought you were like, insulted or something.”

 

Regina grinned. “I don’t like your painting, Jan. I fucking love it.”

 

Janis stopped, blinked, then burst out laughing. “You sly motherfucker. Thanks.” 

 

“Anyways,” Regina continued, smoothing out her cloak. “That’s not the end of the surprise.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Well, since I talked to you about the balls we used to have here, I thought it’d be nice to do something special tonight. So after dinner, well... Shall I say, prepare to be amazed.”

 

Janis smiled warmly. “I can’t wait.”

**Author's Note:**

> soooo i know that there's no gaston analogue in this and i'm. sorry. but all of the mean girls characters are my children and i didn't think anyone fit the part. hope it's alright anyways.


End file.
